Joe was still a little worried Tom might get bored working the kitchen of the little café, but the man never complained and went about his duties with a smile. He looked happy. Joe hoped that by this point there was enough trust between them that Tom would confide in him if he wasn’t happy.
Downstairs Tom helped Bea in the kitchen while Joe took the helm with Elsie at his side and Donnie took orders at the tables. The moment they opened the doors, they greeted the morning rush of customers in dire need of caffeine. Joe understood them perfectly. Nothing got done without a hefty dose of java. It was nonstop until after noon, when most folks were out to lunch. Many stopped by for some pie to take back to their offices or to save for later. The next rush would be in after most folks got off work. They’d drop by on their way home and pick up something for dessert, or they’d stop in for coffee with friends and to chat. The college kids and tourists were in at all hours. Once things slowed, Bea made Tom and Joe a small picnic and sent them into the garden for a while. Joe was on to her, but he wasn’t about to tell her there had been more than pleasant conversation going on between them. Though judging by her smug grin when she saw them together, he’d hazard a guess that she already knew.
Joe was grateful for the little garden between his café and the boutique. He was the only one who seemed to use it, which suited him all the better. The small trees, shrubs, and potted plants made it all feel like some closed-off little corner of the world rather than a makeshift garden between two buildings in the middle of Manhattan. Their own little Central Park, without the traffic and tourists. They sat on the grass on a towel, their bellies full. They had a few more minutes before they had to go back to work.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Bea’s playing matchmaker,” Tom said with a smile.
“You’d be right. She’s been trying to find me a man for years.”
Tom cocked his head to one side, studying him curiously. “Surely it hasn’t been that hard. A guy like you?”
Coming from anyone else, Joe would have thought he was being made fun of, but not from Tom. Tom appeared genuinely perplexed as to why Joe was still single. Had the guy not spent enough time in his company?
“Where do I start? I’m awkward, clumsy, talk to myself, sing to myself, argue with myself, wake up before the cows, believe you can taste memories, and I have nothing but this café. My only family is Bea, Donnie, and Elsie. I don’t have many friends because I have trust issues, and I’m not exactly the most adventurous person.”
Tom blinked at him. “I’m not sure I see the problem.”
Joe let out a laugh. “Seriously? Believe me, it’s sent more than one guy packing. That or the fact I never got past taking their number. Well, Bea would take their number. I’d say I’d call and then pretend I lost the number.”
Tom wrapped his arm around Joe and pulled him in close, giving him a kiss. “Joe, everything you said makes you all the more endearing. Don’t think of them as faults. Think of them as what makes you uniquely you. You’re one of a kind. Any guy would be lucky to have you.”
Joe worried his bottom lip with his teeth. Only one guy concerned him at the moment. Joe wanted to say so much to Tom. How happy he was that he was here, how the past few weeks had been amazing, how he wished Tom could stay…. Instead, he smiled at Tom and said, “Thank you.”
Tom gave him another kiss before pushing himself to his feet. “Come on. We better head back in before Bea starts taking pictures.”
Joe stared at him. “She’s been watching us?”
“Yep. Like a hawk.” Tom held his hand out, and Joe took it, allowing Tom to help him to his feet.
Joe shook his head. He wished he could say he was surprised, but he wasn’t. She was probably dying to tell him she told him so. The woman was agile and crafty. She’d spring up from the darnedest places to tell him she was right, like some kind of white-haired ninja retiree.
Tom packed everything up, giving Joe one last kiss before he disappeared into the kitchen. Joe rolled his eyes as he passed Bea, who was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
The rest of the day went off without a hitch. The shop was full, the customers were happy, and his little motley crew was all high-spirited, not that they didn’t tend to be, but lately they seemed to be even more cheerful, and Joe wondered if something had been missing before that he hadn’t been aware of. There certainly wasn’t anything different about him, was there?